Unit 11
Chasing Popularity and Quality

We have spent some time looking at the effect of television on the audience, but in this unit, we consider the audience’s influence on television. Questions we ask include, “Why do people watch television, and what effects do their reasons have on their choice of programming?” “Was there ever such a thing as a ‘mass audience,’ and if so, does it still exist?” and “What constitutes ‘quality television,’ and does quality guarantee success?”

Objectives

After completing this unit, you should be able to

1. identify the primary methods by which the television audience may resist the influence of television programming.
2. evaluate the overall success of television’s hegemonic influence vs. audience resistance.
3. discuss the possibilities for “quality” popular television and the possible variations in the meaning of the word “quality” in this context.
4. discuss the implications of possible fragmentation of the market and network “narrowcasting.”